Won't shift into forward

Hello I have a 2004 sea ray sundancer 260 with a 6.2 engine and a Bravo 3 stern drive. I am having a problem shifting into forward gear. When I shift into forward it wont go into gear unless I start to rev it to 1000 rpm and then it might clunk into gear. I called for a mechanic at the marina but it might take up to four weeks before he can look at it. My plan right now is to adjust the shift linkage at the engine per the service manual. I am awaiting a tool the I ordered to use for adjustment.

A little history in 2011 the cable was replaced, the outdrive was removed and completely serviced, the reason why is because there was an engine replacement I am not certain which cable was replaced without a little more research but I am assuming that it was the outdrive cable. In 2017 the cable was replaced because the shifter lever was worn and replaced I assume it was the shifter cable. I am hoping it is just a adjustment or something came loose at the engine. I have read a lot about this problem in other forums or whatever comes up on google I wont be able to get back to my boat until this Sunday to do more trouble shooting and have the adjustment tool with me. I have been studying this for the last few days to gain as much knowledge as I can. Hoping to gain more knowledge here I am mechanically inclined and can turn a wrench just not a marine mechanic. The stern drive is a Bravo 3 I don't know the numbers on it but will find out for sure. Thanks for the input and looking forward to more I need all the help I can get. Alex

SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME...
2004 sea ray sundancer 260 with a 350 MAG engine and a Bravo 3 outdrive

Yesterday i went for a ride was out on the bay anchored all day no issues on the way back i was around 4200 rpms and 28kts and all of a sudden i heard the alarm go off. it was 1 beep every 1 min.

The boat still had power and was driving fine, once i got to the no wake zone i slowed it down. Than once i got closer to my dock i slowed down again and that's when it shut off on me. Tried to start it nothing. . .

I did started it with Advance Throttle and she idles fine around 1500, than i put it in Neutral so i can put in gear it turned off on me. . .
Started again with the throttle on and i was able to put in in neutral and in gear very very very fast that's how i got to the nearest dock and left it there. . .

I called my marina and told em waiting on mechanic to take a look at it or run his computer to see what the code is...

Anyone here has any idea what this could be? Shift cables? IAC? Switch Interrupter?

SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME...
2004 sea ray sundancer 260 with a 350 MAG engine and a Bravo 3 outdrive

Yesterday i went for a ride was out on the bay anchored all day no issues on the way back i was around 4200 rpms and 28kts and all of a sudden i heard the alarm go off. it was 1 beep every 1 min.

The boat still had power and was driving fine, once i got to the no wake zone i slowed it down. Than once i got closer to my dock i slowed down again and that's when it shut off on me. Tried to start it nothing. . .

I did started it with Advance Throttle and she idles fine around 1500, than i put it in Neutral so i can put in gear it turned off on me. . .
Started again with the throttle on and i was able to put in in neutral and in gear very very very fast that's how i got to the nearest dock and left it there. . .

I called my marina and told em waiting on mechanic to take a look at it or run his computer to see what the code is...

Anyone here has any idea what this could be? Shift cables? IAC? Switch Interrupter?

Thanks Nick

Click to expand...

Not really the same thing as the OP here... his sounds like a cone clutch. Yours is like you suggest... IAC or neutral interrupt switch.

Update on my shifting problem. Turns out it was the cone clutch and upper/lower gear sets worn out from the paint that was inside the case from the factory. Seems the factory powder coated the inside case to prevent corrosion. My technician did not want to overhaul the unit because it would only happen again from the paint flaking off inside the unit. I inspected the unit and sure enough paint is inside and is flaking off. I am replacing the whole stern drive for about $7200 That's a remanufacture unit from mercruiser,labor, and sales tax. Bums me out

I have a question. I am leaning towards my cone clutch being bad also. I have a 2002 225 sea ray w 5.0 mercruiser and bravo 3 out drive. Boat completely stopped going into gear last weekend. No forward or reverse, my ? Is wouldn’t there have been some slipping to give notice something was going bad? Mine didn’t, went from no problems shifting at all to doing nothing.

Mine was slipping kinda like an automatic transmission in a car. I would suggest you do all cable adjustments first and verify that it is good from the control back to the engine. Then I would suggest checking the cable from the engine back to the stern drive. Maybe there is a way to isolate the stern drive cable and verify it's bad prior to taking the drive unit off.